The Handbook of Research Methods in Organizational Change offers innovative and practical information to aid in the successful implementation of research methodologies. Written by a collective of experienced scholars, it provides inspiration for future academics wishing to advance research into human system changes. Presenting traditional, modern and potential future research methods within the field of organizational change and development, the Handbook offers practical guidance on how to carry out a wide range of different research methods, from rapid response to action research. Chapters explore the methods aligned with the phenomena of organizational change, as well as the various ontologies, epistemologies, frameworks, and values that researchers of organizational change adopt. The Handbook ultimately calls for the discipline to challenge existing paradigms and rethink its approaches to advancing knowledge regarding organizational change. This stimulating Handbook will be valuable for students and scholars of business and innovation hoping to conduct research into what transformational change on such a grand scale requires. Its expert insights will also be beneficial for scholars of interconnected disciplines such as sociology and psychology.

This practical book explores collaborative inquiry as an approach to research and change in organizations where internal members and external researchers work together as partners to address organizational issues and create knowledge about changing organizations. Taking a research-based approach, Abraham B. (Rami) Shani and David Coghlan analyze the challenges that participants face in building a partnership between researchers and practitioners throughout the phases of collaboration. Chapters explore how collaborative partners assess the organization's current and future capabilities by expressing the present and future in creative imagery and by making relevant changes in the organization to create that future. The book examines the theoretical foundations behind collaborative inquiry in addition to the methodologies of this approach to organization development and change. Mapping both the theory and practice of collaborative inquiry, this book will be a valuable resource for scholars and students of organization studies and research methods, particularly those with a focus on business and management. It will also be beneficial for practitioners interested in collaborative and action research modes.

This practical book explores collaborative inquiry as an approach to research and change in organizations where internal members and external researchers work together as partners to address organizational issues and create knowledge about changing organizations. Taking a research-based approach, Abraham B. (Rami) Shani and David Coghlan analyze the challenges that participants face in building a partnership between researchers and practitioners throughout the phases of collaboration. Chapters explore how collaborative partners assess the organization's current and future capabilities by expressing the present and future in creative imagery and by making relevant changes in the organization to create that future. The book examines the theoretical foundations behind collaborative inquiry in addition to the methodologies of this approach to organization development and change. Mapping both the theory and practice of collaborative inquiry, this book will be a valuable resource for scholars and students of organization studies and research methods, particularly those with a focus on business and management. It will also be beneficial for practitioners interested in collaborative and action research modes.

Improvement is fundamental to the competitiveness of networks and requires the participating firms to collaborate in identifying and introducing changes. This book presents collaborative strategic improvement as a cycle of activities in which firms in a network can engage together. Drawing on actual cases, authors link this cycle with disciplined action learning as a means of building upon experience generated through collaborative action. They describe how a network can learn from experience and deploy that learning in the marketplace. This unique book brings together the domains of operations management, organizational learning and action learning. From an operations management perspective, the work extends the established concept of strategic improvement in operations to the network within which firms collaborate to improve and to compete. From an action learning perspective, it draws on the emerging literature on network learning, re-frames the established concept of action learning as a learning mechanism and extends action learning into the network setting. Here, it values the inter-organizational insights that emerge through collaboration. Finally, the study articulates a philosophy and a framework for action learning research, extending the reach of action learning beyond practice to knowledge generation. Directed to researchers engaged in active intervention in improvement initiatives in organizations, this insightful book will prove to be a must-have resource. Also, it will appeal strongly to practitioners, including managers and action learning facilitators. Contents: 1. Overture; Part I: The Domains; Introduction to Part I; 2. Collaborative Strategic Improvement; 3. Learning in and Between Organizations; 4. Action Learning in and Between Organizations; 5. Intermission - The State of Our Understanding; Part II: Learning in Action; Introduction to Part II; 6. Collaborative Strategic Improvement Action Learning Programme Design; 7. Effecting Collaborative Operational Strategic Improvement in a Non-Contractual Setting; 8. Effecting Collaborative Operational Strategic Improvement in the Contractual Setting of an Extended Manufacturing Enterprise; Part III: Consolidation; Introduction to Part III; 9. Realizing Strategic Improvement; 10. Guidelines for Realizing Sustainable Strategic Improvement; 11. Action Learning Research in Inter-organizational Settings; 12. Finale; Appendices; Appendix I: National Action Learning Programme (NALP): Background and Overview; Appendix II: CO-IMPROVE: Background and Overview; Appendix III: Introductory Workshop on Action Learning

Organizations change, usually driven by strategies, yet strategic management and organizational change are generally understood as separate domains in the business world. This book integrates the behavioural dynamics of learning, change and strategy at and across individual, team, interdepartmental, group and organizational levels. This new edition emphasizes what can be done in organizations to enable strategy to be effective and to help organizations to change and learn. Central to the book is a reflexive engagement approach through inviting the readers to apply concepts to their own organizational situations and via reflective exercises. The authors also offer cases from a wide range of organizations, from universities to steel and digital businesses. This practical book addresses managers, consultants, students and researchers and provides specific orientation to assist each readership group to learn from its own perspective.

"Managers Learning in Action" takes a wholly original approach to organizational learning. Rather than offering either a purely practical or theoretical context, this text is written by a team of managers and academics, combining theory and practice to create a holistic, and above all realistic, exploration of learning at work.
The managers writing in this text offer real life examples of management challenges they have met. Whether rescuing an ailing organization or managing inter-organization relations, managing change or managing human resources, many of today's crucial management challenges are addressed. Covering a range of sectors, the organizations studied include those in:
- hi-tech manufacturing,
- engineering,
- telecommunications,
- health care,
- transport,
- government agencies.
Contributors are drawn from three well-established academic programs: the Irish Management Institute/ University of Dublin Masters in Management Practice; the US Benedictine University PhD in Organizational Development; and the Henley Management College DBA and edited by the academic directors of these programs.
By offering these managers' own reflections on their experiences in the context of relevant management theory, this text provides an important and innovative contribution for those both studying organizations and for those managers who are currently learning and developing at work.

"Managers Learning in Action" takes a wholly original approach to organizational learning. Rather than offering either a purely practical or theoretical context, this text is written by a team of managers and academics, combining theory and practice to create a holistic, and above all realistic, exploration of learning at work.
The managers writing in this text offer real life examples of management challenges they have met. Whether rescuing an ailing organization or managing inter-organization relations, managing change or managing human resources, many of today's crucial management challenges are addressed. Covering a range of sectors, the organizations studied include those in:
- hi-tech manufacturing,
- engineering,
- telecommunications,
- health care,
- transport,
- government agencies.
Contributors are drawn from three well-established academic programs: the Irish Management Institute/ University of Dublin Masters in Management Practice; the US Benedictine University PhD in Organizational Development; and the Henley Management College DBA and edited by the academic directors of these programs.
By offering these managers' own reflections on their experiences in the context of relevant management theory, this text provides an important and innovative contribution for those both studying organizations and for those managers who are currently learning and developing at work.

This book examines representations of the specter in American twentieth and twenty-first-century fiction. David Coughlan's innovative structure has chapters on Paul Auster, Don DeLillo, Toni Morrison, Marilynne Robinson, and Philip Roth alternating with shorter sections detailing the significance of the ghost in the philosophy of Jacques Derrida, particularly within the context of his 1993 text, Specters of Marx. Together, these accounts of phantoms, shadows, haunts, spirit, the death sentence, and hospitality provide a compelling theoretical context in which to read contemporary US literature. Ghost Writing in Contemporary American Fiction argues at every stage that there is no self, no relation to the other, no love, no home, no mourning, no future, no trace of life without the return of the specter-that is, without ghost writing.

This book examines representations of the specter in American twentieth and twenty-first-century fiction. David Coughlan's innovative structure has chapters on Paul Auster, Don DeLillo, Toni Morrison, Marilynne Robinson, and Philip Roth alternating with shorter sections detailing the significance of the ghost in the philosophy of Jacques Derrida, particularly within the context of his 1993 text, Specters of Marx. Together, these accounts of phantoms, shadows, haunts, spirit, the death sentence, and hospitality provide a compelling theoretical context in which to read contemporary US literature. Ghost Writing in Contemporary American Fiction argues at every stage that there is no self, no relation to the other, no love, no home, no mourning, no future, no trace of life without the return of the specter-that is, without ghost writing.

Concise and unintimidating, the fifth edition of this bestselling book is the only pragmatic, quick-start guide to the main theories, issues, and approaches to insider action research. With an encouraging and approachable tone, David is the perfect mentor for anyone conducting action research in their own organization. Calming nerves at the same time as building confidence, he helps readers devise an appropriate research design that anticipates possible challenges and fits within the limits of their environments. A complete do-it-yourself toolkit for every step of the action research process, this edition is outfitted with: Real-world student and professional case studies Author video tips Annotated templates Progress checklists Journal articles, weblinks, and other further reading. To the point without losing clarity or thoroughness, this book is the hands-on manual for all the need-to-know facts about understanding and undertaking insider action research.

Moving away from the common/traditional focus on studying organizations from a distance, this highly engaging book introduces the idea of studying them from the inside. Inside Organizations: Exploring Organizational Experiences guides placement students, and any student undertaking part-time work in an organization, through 'insider inquiry', helping them to develop key reflexive and critical thinking skills for their future careers. It encourages you to pay attention to what goes on in organizations, to question what you experience and ultimately to make sense of how organizations function, helping you to develop key reflexive and critical thinking skills for your future careers. This book is ideal for students on programmes with a placement or internship element such as business and management, nursing and health, and education and is especially useful to those doing reflective journals and essays.

In Conducting Action Research, Coghlan and Shani explain how action research differs from more detached research methods and provides expert guidance on how to engage effectively with it, helping the reader to complete both a successful research project and produce findings that are useful in an organizational context. Ideal for Business and Management students reading for a Master's degree, each book in the series may also serve as reference books for doctoral students and faculty members interested in the method. Part of SAGE's Mastering Business Research Methods, conceived and edited by Bill Lee, Mark N. K. Saunders and Vadake K. Narayanan and designed to support researchers by providing in-depth and practical guidance on using a chosen method of data collection or analysis.

Concise and unintimidating, the fifth edition of this bestselling book is the only pragmatic, quick-start guide to the main theories, issues, and approaches to insider action research. With an encouraging and approachable tone, David is the perfect mentor for anyone conducting action research in their own organization. Calming nerves at the same time as building confidence, he helps readers devise an appropriate research design that anticipates possible challenges and fits within the limits of their environments. A complete do-it-yourself toolkit for every step of the action research process, this edition is outfitted with: Real-world student and professional case studies Author video tips Annotated templates Progress checklists Journal articles, weblinks, and other further reading. To the point without losing clarity or thoroughness, this book is the hands-on manual for all the need-to-know facts about understanding and undertaking insider action research.

Organizations change, usually driven by strategies, yet strategic management and organizational change are generally understood as separate domains in the business world. This book integrates the behavioural dynamics of learning, change and strategy at and across individual, team, interdepartmental, group and organizational levels. This new edition emphasizes what can be done in organizations to enable strategy to be effective and to help organizations to change and learn. Central to the book is a reflexive engagement approach through inviting the readers to apply concepts to their own organizational situations and via reflective exercises. The authors also offer cases from a wide range of organizations, from universities to steel and digital businesses. This practical book addresses managers, consultants, students and researchers and provides specific orientation to assist each readership group to learn from its own perspective.

Moving away from the common/traditional focus on studying organizations from a distance, this highly engaging book introduces the idea of studying them from the inside. Inside Organizations: Exploring Organizational Experiences guides placement students, and any student undertaking part-time work in an organization, through 'insider inquiry', helping them to develop key reflexive and critical thinking skills for their future careers. It encourages you to pay attention to what goes on in organizations, to question what you experience and ultimately to make sense of how organizations function, helping you to develop key reflexive and critical thinking skills for your future careers. This book is ideal for students on programmes with a placement or internship element such as business and management, nursing and health, and education and is especially useful to those doing reflective journals and essays.

For the first time, internationally-renowned scholars David Coghlan and Abraham B. Shani bring together the important articles and publications in action research in business and management since the 1950s. Action research is presented in terms of its historical and philosophical foundations and development, its implementation in different business settings and disciplines, and its contemporary and developmental opportunities. Volume 1: Foundations of Action Research in Business and Management Volume 2: Business Disciplines Volume 3: Action Research in Diverse Industries Volume 4: Contemporary and Emerging Issues Designed to be a foundation resource for individual scholars and business schools, this collection provides academics in the field with a touchstone resource to help build their knowledge and understanding of the field.

Throughout the 1990s, predictions of Korean reunification were rife. Since then, enthusiasm for such predictions have faded, and although the underlying assumption of reunification remains, forecasts of when and how this will occur have been more subdued. Reunification poses two distinct yet interdependent conundrums: reunification itself, which is the immediate challenge; and the strategic landscape that emerges from reunification, which has the potential to fundamentally transform strategic relationships in Northeast Asia. Within this context, this paper examines the prospects from Korean reunification. Initially, it will establish the framework from which such prospects will emerge: the nature of the North Korean regime, the cost of reunification, and likely reunification scenarios. From this framework, a raft of challenges and opportunities present themselves to the stakeholders in the region; and South Korea, China, the United States and, to a lesser extent, Japan and Russia will be examined...

Throughout the 1990s, predictions of Korean reunification were rife. Since then, enthusiasm for such predictions have faded, and although the underlying assumption of reunification remains, forecasts of when and how this will occur have been more subdued. Reunification poses two distinct yet interdependent conundrums: reunification itself, which is the immediate challenge; and the strategic landscape that emerges from reunification, which has the potential to fundamentally transform strategic relationships in Northeast Asia. Within this context, this paper examines the prospects from Korean reunification. Initially, it will establish the framework from which such prospects will emerge: the nature of the North Korean regime, the cost of reunification, and likely reunification scenarios. From this framework, a raft of challenges and opportunities present themselves to the stakeholders in the region; and South Korea, China, the United States and, to a lesser extent, Japan and Russia will be examined to determine prospects from Korean reunification. The paper will suggest that China, at the expense of the United States, has positioned itself to profoundly influence the nature of reunification, the "tilt" of a unified Korea, and with it, the future Northeast Asian strategic environment.

In Conducting Action Research, Coghlan and Shani explain how action research differs from more detached research methods and provides expert guidance on how to engage effectively with it, helping the reader to complete both a successful research project and produce findings that are useful in an organizational context. Ideal for Business and Management students reading for a Master's degree, each book in the series may also serve as reference books for doctoral students and faculty members interested in the method. Part of SAGE's Mastering Business Research Methods, conceived and edited by Bill Lee, Mark N. K. Saunders and Vadake K. Narayanan and designed to support researchers by providing in-depth and practical guidance on using a chosen method of data collection or analysis.

Action research is a term used to describe a family of related approaches that integrate theory and action with a goal of addressing important organizational, community, and social issues together with those who experience them. It focuses on the creation of areas for collaborative learning and the design, enactment and evaluation of liberating actions through combining action and research, reflection and action in an ongoing cycle of cogenerative knowledge. While the roots of these methodologies go back to the 1940s, there has been a dramatic increase in research output and adoption in university curricula over the past decade. This is now an area of high popularity among academics and researchers from various fields-especially business and organization studies, education, health care, nursing, development studies, and social and community work. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Action Research brings together the many strands of action research and addresses the interplay between these disciplines by presenting a state-of-the-art overview and comprehensive breakdown of the key tenets and methods of action research as well as detailing the work of key theorists and contributors to action research.

Applying a reflective behavioural science approach to the effectiveness and improvement of organizations, organization development has embedded itself firmly in the bricks and mortar of organization studies in the last half century. This collection brings together, for the first time, a diverse range of papers in the field, serving as the first point of reference for practitioners and academics alike. Adopting a critical perspective, the pre-eminent editors have brought acknowledged twentieth-century milestones together with modern classics from the founders of this core theoretical area of organization studies, as well as other largely unacknowledged and difficult to find highlights - a renewed focus on which will help redefine understanding of the field.